Falling Fast - L.S

2

I stood up. I was determined to take the stage like Taylor had done. That meant standing in the middle of the room.

It seemed a long way across the carpet.

As I faced Mr Nichols, I could feel my legs shaking. My heart pounded so loudly I was sure the whole room could hear it.

"I'm Louis Tomlinson," i said nervously. "I'm reading from Act 2, scene 2."

Too quick. Slow down.

I started, doing my best to keep my voice low and measured and my movements fluid.

I loved the lines I'd picked. When we'd studied Romeo and Juliet at school I'd been bored at first - all the fighting between their two families seemed stupid and pointless. And then I read the scenes between Romeo and Juliet. The love scenes.

I could feel my neck flushing with the intensity of what I was saying. I looked up into the middle distance, seeing nothing and no one. And for a second i forgot I was dumpy Louis Tomlinson, neither loved nor in love. And I became Juliet:

"My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep. The more I give to thee the more I have, for both are infinite."

I could feel what that meant in my heart. In my soul.

I love you so much, so unselfishly, that it will never run out.

I clasped my hands together to try and stop them shaking. Then I slowly looked up from the carpet.

Mr Nichols was staring shrewdly at me.

And then he nodded. "Good," he said. He looked round the room. "Now I'm going to leave you for just a minute to chase up some refreshments."

He strode out.

Suddenly feeling massively self-concious, I slunk over to Gi and Tay. "You were great, Lou," Gigi beamed up at me.

"Thanks," i said blushing.

Taylor raised her eyebrows. "I thought you weren't that bothered which part you got?"

I could feel my whole face reddening.

Then Taylor grinned. "Not that you fooled me." She laughed. "And you were good, you cow. I bet you get it."

I smiled at her. "I bet you do. You were brilliant." I squeezed her arm as I sank down onto the sofa.

Suddenly I was filled with relief that it was over. That I'd done it. And done it okay. At that moment I didn't care about love or playing Juliet. I was just glad to be with my friends.

"Hey, Gi," i said. "You were really good too. I think Joe might have to cope with you doing a play in a boys' school after all."

Gigi's pale face flushed with pleasure. "Hey, Lou," she breathed.
"D' you really think so?"

Mr Nichols reappeared after a few minutes with a tray of biscuits and a couple of cartons of juice.

As we each took a drink, he started speaking.

"The standard this evening has been very high." He coughed. "I will send a full list of girls invited to take non-speaking parts to your headmistress tomorrow, but for now I would like to see the following people for second readings so that I can assign the main parts: Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Gigi Hadid and Louis Tomlinson."

Yes. I was up for one of the female speaking parts. But which one would I get? There was Juliet, of course, plus her nurse - sort of like a nanny from when she was a child - and her and Romeo's mothers.